A new book explores the history and legacy of Jackson’s Michigan Theatre.
WKAR’s Melorie Begay spoke with Jackson County Historical Society President Maurice Imhoff who wrote "The Michigan: Jackson’s Heart of Entertainment."
The book is available online with an official book launch scheduled for May 30 at the historic venue.
Interview Highlights
On what Imhoff hopes people take away from the book
Theaters are more than just the places we watch movies or see plays or concerts. They're gathering spaces where community comes together. You come, and you see your friends, your neighbors, your best friends, people from high school.
On the theater's perseverance and grit
[The theater] was hit with one or two more struggles with opening and closing. Then at one point was on the chopping block to be the next theater to be demolished in our community. And we had lost several already, so that was the next one to be demolished, and a group of incredible volunteers from our community put the work in to help save this landmark.
On what the theater and other historic venues tell us about Jackson
That we stand strong, we work and we solve our problems together as one. And that's something we see in these spaces is that everyone can work together and find common ground.
Interview Transcript
Melorie Begay: A new book explores the history and legacy of Jackson’s Michigan Theatre.
I spoke with Jackson County Historical Society President Maurice Imhoff who wrote "The Michigan: Jackson’s Heart of Entertainment."
The Michigan Theatre opened in 1930 and the book tells the story of the venue through photographs, archival research and stories that were collected throughout its existence. What inspired you to share this story?
Maurice Imhoff: I realized having spent some time in the theater, myself, just the impact that it has on our community, the cultural impact. I mean, it is, as we kind of say, it’s the icon or the heart of Jackson's entertainment.
Every event that we have here that's large in a way, stems around the Michigan Theatre, it seems, and everyone in town has been to this place. But what's the history of it? We know its history, right? We know it's 1930s, it’s historical, it's unique, it's architecture. But what's the actual history here and the stories that go along with that through its time? We wanted to help tell that story.
Begay: What do you hope people take away from the book?
Imhoff: That theaters are more than just the places we watch movies or see plays or concerts. They're gathering spaces where community comes together. You come, and you see your friends, your neighbors, your best friends, people from high school. And I think as you go back in the history of the theater, that's even more relevant because we didn't have social media to keep up.
These were places where people came to gather, and they made connections. We talk about in the book, first dates, people who eventually went on to marry in some cases, right? I had the chance to do oral interviews, connecting with people.
So, it's a place where memories are made, and I think it's a great way to look back at those memories
Begay: As you were working on the book, was there anything that surprised you or that you learned along the way about the theater's history?
Imhoff: It's perseverance and it's grit. It has continued to go forward as an institution despite challenges.
I mean, 1930s right? What are we going into: The Great Depression. We went from the Roaring ‘20s when they came up with the idea to build this theater. It's going to be a grand theater, costing $550,000 which is obviously a lot at the time too, right? And then to go right into the Great Depression a little bit after and get hit by the heart of the Depression, it had to close its doors. Look at the theater. I mean, [it’s] comparable, to like the Fox Theatre for our town to build something like that. Then to have to close its doors is sad.
Then it continued on again, and then it was hit with one or two more struggles with opening and closing. Then at one point was on the chopping block to be the next theater to be demolished in our community. And we had lost several already, so that was the next one to be demolished, and a group of incredible volunteers from our community put the work in to help save this landmark, and we see how it's paid out for everyone. So, I think it's the perseverance of it, of the institution.
Begay: Looking at the history of the theater and all the other entertainment venues mentioned, what do you think all of these places have to tell us about Jackson?
Imhoff: That we stand strong, we work and we solve our problems together as one. And that's something we see in these spaces is that everyone can work together and find common ground.
I mean, when I say that, I mean there's fun gatherings, right? That happened. I mean performances. I mean brand new Elvis movie taking place at the Michigan Theatre being shown. "White Christmas," we all love the movie, "White Christmas" every year that being shown at the theater.
These really pivotal moments in these gathering spaces that took place [in] the Michigan Theatre that start as the focus of the book. They allowed tin cans to be used as ticket entry to help with the war, right? They're bringing in metal to help with the war efforts.
Another aspect of war, one of the other halls downtown where City Hall currently stands, that was where the men, the Jackson Greys signed up and told the governor that they are going to be offering their services to put an end to the Civil War right after it broke out. That's a pivotal moment that happened here.
And back to the Michigan Theatre in more modern times, a large event that comes to my mind was the meeting regarding the nondiscrimination ordinance, where city hall was originally packed, packed to the roof, right? And they then went to the Michigan Theatre to have that discussion because [there] were so many people.
So, these modern-day, large events and community gatherings still happen to this day, as they did back then. It's cool to see it kind of come full circle and still be used as these large community gathering spaces. And I'm hoping that [through] this publication everyone can realize that again and learn it and learn the history and be proud of what Jackson has to offer regarding its entertainment and meeting spaces.
Begay: Maurice Imhoff is the author of "The Michigan: Jackson’s Heart of Entertainment" and the president of the Jackson County Historical Society. Thanks for joining me today.
Imhoff: Anytime. Thank you.
This conversation has been edited for clarity and conciseness.
